Mac and Cheese is the ultimate comfort food that lends itself to many exotic, delightful variations. To me, the fundamental childhood version is best. This suits the mood for all ages at any family gathering, its simplicity never disappoints. Especially in this case, when it’s upgraded from antiquity to include the very best essential ingredients (organic cheese, butter and milk) for the bechamel and an effective stove top technique.

Make this recipe in one broiler safe 9X13 casserole dish, or break into 2 8X8 squares. You can also use individual ramekins.

Cook 1 LB of elbow macaroni in about 4 qts of boiling water and some salt. Under cook the pasta to just el dente.

Transfer mixture to casserole dish(es). Top with bread crumbs, panko, shredded Romano or Parmesan cheese, smashed potato chips, crushed red or black pepper, your choice. Place under broiler, watching closely, until top is browned. Cool about 5 minutes and serve. Tabasco sauce and celery salt are nice condiments at the table.

Mac and Cheese microwaves nicely for a follow-up meal, but be sure to use the DEFROST cycle on your microwave. This keeps the cheeses from being ruined, seizing up, separating, and ruining the dish. Now you know.

Can you add diced ham and peas? Of course you can!!! Can you add kielbasa? Of course you can! (I’m a vegetarian though…)

This lovely pickle came to my attention in my favorite canning book, “Food in Jars” by Marissa McClellan.

Reminiscent of the classic garnish in Vietnamese restaurants, the ginger and star anise flavor also pairs with sandwiches, tacos, cream cheese and crackers, or spooning from jar straight to your mouth.

Use a mandolin (carefully!!) to make perfect, paper-thin coins.

Gather up: 1 lb organic carrots

1 lb young, organic daikon radish

1 1/2 cups distilled white vinegar +equal parts water

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 T salt

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

3 T coriander seeds

2 teaspoons black mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (more if you want them hotter)

3 whole star anise

This will make 3 pint jars, so double or triple the batch while you are at it. Important: The spices will go into the jars before you load them with the vegetables in order to be sure they are perfectly, evenly distributed.

Slice the vegetables with a mandolin and set aside.

Combine the vinegar, water, sugar salt and ground ginger in a pot and bring to a boil. Combine the remaining spices and distribute evenly in your sterilized jars. Once boiling, add the sliced veggies to the brine, stir to combine and immediately remove from heat.

Add the veggies to the jars. Ladle the hot brine into the jars leaving 1/2″ of head space. Gently tap the jars to loosen any air bubbles and use a chopstick to remove bubbles. Check the headspace again and add more brine if needed. Wipe the rims, apply lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 5 minutes.

Because they are so thinly sliced these pickles require no curing time and can be eaten immediately.

The single most requested recipe from our afternoon Beach Break Snacks is now here!

Piled on cream cheese and crackers, stuffed into hummus wraps and sandwiches, with deviled eggs, in Bloody Marys, there is no end to how to enjoy these! Be sure to save the leftover sweet/hot syrup for basting over summer BBQ!

I triple this recipe because I’m always cooking for a crowd, you may also wish to double or triple it and make it your signature gift from your own kitchen.

These can be made year round but the jalapeno grown nearby to you in summer are the freshest and hottest choice!

Gather up:

3 lbs fresh, firm jalapeno peppers

2 cups cider vinegar

6 cups white granulated suga

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

3 teaspoons granulated garlic (or 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder)

1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

Wear gloves and be certain not to touch your face, eyes or anything else when in process.

Remove and discard the stems from peppers, then slice into 1/4 inch rounds. There is no need to separate the pith or the seeds.

In a very deep pot, bring cider vinegar, sugar, turmeric, celery seed, garlic and cayenne to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the sliced peppers and simmer gently for 4 minutes. Use a slotted spoon and remove the peppers. Turn heat up under the syrup pot and bring to a full, hard, rolling boil for 6 minutes.

Spoon the pepper rings into sterile canning jars, leaving 1/4″ head space. (I use pint jars for family, half pints for gifts.) Ladle hot syrup into the jars. Use a wooden chopstick to release air bubbles several times. Wipe rims with wet paper towel, seal and cap. Process in a boiling water bath for 10-15 minutes. Let sit 24 hours on cooling racks, wipe and label.

Though seasonally perfect at the holidays, cranberries can be frozen so this marvelous treat can be enjoyed year round. In December I freeze cranberries in exact 4-cup measurements so I can conveniently whip this up whenever I please.

I ripped this recipe from a Pinterest site which included no baking times or oven temperatures. I tweaked it repeatedly until I perfected it. Our cranberries are homegrown here in South Haven at DeGrandchamp Farms so they are fresh and plump.

This recipe is just a bit of work but it’s well worth it.

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease 2 loaf pans.

Gather up your ingredients:

4 cups cranberries, fresh or frozen

2 T orange rind

2 eggs, 2 tsp baking soda, 4 cups flour, 1+1/2 tsp salt, 2 cups sugar

2/3 cup vegetable oil, 1 cup orange juice, 1 cup water

2 cups pecans

Here’s the labor intensive part, but it’s well worth it: cut each cranberry in half. Zest fresh oranges and then juice them (so there is no waste!).

Add the sugar to the sliced cranberries and stir to coat them. Combine the dry ingredients, combine the wet ingredients, then combine it all.

Pour batter into loaf pans. I like to dot the top with more perfect pecans.

Bake at 350 for 60 minutes or so. The top may get brown and even crack, it’s OK. Check doneness with a toothpick inserted in center, it should come out clean.

Sprouts are truly power food! All the energy of the final plant is available in one tiny, sprouted seed or bean. We include sprouts on our breakfast buffet and Beach Break Snacks every day. I am always experimenting with different kinds but our tried and true favorites are linked for you here: mung beans, lentils, dun peas, radish, and a “Zesty Mix” of radish, clover, alfalfa and fenugreek seeds. Purchasing these organic products from Amazon makes it easy to source/buy and a Prime membership saves me a fortune on shipping.

Sprouting is easy. All you need is a space on your kitchen counter for your small “farm”. All seeds, peas, legumes etc are soaked first (6-10 hrs), then rinsed and drained about three times a day until harvesting (3-5 days). In a trial and error learning curve over the past years I have determined which sprouting tools are optimum for each type of sprout.

I use a 1/2 gallon ball jar and draining lid for the very small seeds of radish, alfalfa, fenugreek, clover. The small seeds immerse and soak about 4-6 hours. Then, rinse and drain, then rotate the jar so that the seeds cling to all sides. Cover with towel to keep out the light. Rinse and drain several times a day until they attain desired sprout size. I like my sprouts at about 1/4-1//2 inch, and these take about 3-4 days.

For larger choices, like the dun peas, mung beans and lentils, I use The Easy Sprouter, a “cup in a cup” technique. You can soak (6-8 hours) and rinse easily and it’s compact on the counter too. The manufacturer claims you can rinse less frequently with this tool/technique so if you’re away from home for extended periods this can help. The sprouts can get very intertwined in this small cup as they grow, but a final soak and gentle swish separates them.

I love these stackable trays too. After soaking overnight in ball jars, divide beans, peas, lentils etc into the trays. Rinse and drain 2-3 times a day. Rotate top tray to bottom at each rinse for consistent, even sprouting. I harvest when sprouts are about 1/2 inch long.

Experiment! Harvest, let them dry out slightly, store in ZipLock bags in the fridge. I date the bags too. Sprouts last a very long time (several weeks) if stored correctly, but we find that the first 10 days are the freshest and best.

Any questions or concerns? Feel free to email me: elaine@yeltonmanor/com

This luscious sweet-tart chutney is served at YMBB’s Beach Break Snacks with cream cheese and crackers. It’s yummy poured over baked Brie too. Meat eaters love it on roast pork, chicken and, of course, turkey sandwiches. Cranberries are in season October through the holidays and we get ours locally at DeGrandchamps Blueberry and Cranberry Farm.

I make both pint jars (gifts) and quart jars (family size). Because I serve so many I make this recipe X 6 with no degradation of flavor or texture; so double or triple as you wish.

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh cranberries

2 cups orange juice (organic)

1 cup apple cider (organic)

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1/4 cup cider vinegar

2 cinnamon sticks

12 mint leaves

1 T grounds coriander

Combine all ingredients in large pan(s) over medium heat. Stir frequently. Cook until thick and reduced, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.

If canning: Ladle into sterilized jars, seal, process in boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yelton Manor Bed and Breakfast pickles are the highlight of our afternoon Beach Break Snacks, 3PM-6PM every day. I make at least 12 different kinds, preserving the ongoing summer harvest of fresh vegetables from early spring asparagus to late season brussel sprouts. I use our many different herbs and spices, and I use fresh dill and other herbs from the garden. I make a tarragon brine, a cumin pickle (very Indian flavor) and a star anise (very Asian flavor). When I discovered this mixed pickling spice I was very intrigued to try the amazing combination of flavors. As it turns out, the clove, cinnamon and allspice overtones give this mixed spice an aroma reminiscent of Christmas, so it’s ideal for the holidays. Now we have also added it to our breakfast buffet just for the heck of it. I tried it with many vegetables, from summer squash to beans, yet plain old pickling cucumbers won the taste test for me. You can experiment with it any way you please. I buy organic spices from Penzies or Amazon.

Mix in a jar:

3 T crushed bay leaf

3 T black peppercorns

3 T whole allspice

3 T coriander seeds

3 T mustard seed

# T juniper berries

1 T whole clove

1 T dill seed

1 cinnamon stick, crushed into small pieces

Place all in the jar and shake to combine. Isn’t it gorgeous??!!! Just the mixed spice alone makes a lovely gift!

Here’s my favorite way to use this spice mix: Obtain small Kirby pickles from your local farmer, freshly picked. Cut the blossom end to keep the pickle crunchy. Leave whole…. or cut into spears or rounds, your choice.

Increase this recipe as you need to, this is for 4 pints. For the brine: 3 cups apple cider vinegar mixed with 3 cups water and 3 T pickling salt, heated to boiling. Put a slice of lemon and a one tablespoon of the mixed spice in the bottom of sterilized jars. Pack in the pickles. Nestle in some garlic cloves too. Slowly pour the brine into each jar, wipe the rims and cover with lids and rings, process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.

Yum! See the lemon slice in there? You can increase that to two slices if you like the extra zing it brings to the brine.

Mark these for your Christmas holidays, they make great hostess gifts if you are invited to dinner! But eat them any time when you want a very unusual and zesty pickle.

It’s a happy day when the farmer’s market has a half bushel of perfectly small and crisp Kirby pickle cukes! I have been wanting to try a new taste and my French tarragon just happened to be in full summer bushiness. I researched and found this simple refrigerator pickle based on a Martha Stewart recipe.

Donna nurtures a White Cochin named Snowball and 3 Black Cochin/Phoenix mix (Freckles, Sweet Pea and Goldy) hens. She also mothers 3 Rhode Island Reds, (Elsa, Crystal and Anna) a Heritage line which she nurtured by hand from day old chicks. Her Grandchildren named all the hens.

Free range, the much loved hens are fed layers feed, hand sprouted mung beans, fresh herbs and “all the bugs and worms they can find”. Donna says they are also great mousers! Snowball lays a smallish pink/white egg, the Rhodies a gorgeous brown egg.

Please join us to discover the amazing pleasure of eating these nutritious, delicious eggs. Luscious, healthy goodness, served up every morning on the breakfast buffet and contributing distinctive deliciousness to all our baking too.